Philippines’ Jake Zyrus, Nats Sitoy to star in 2018 Japanese films

Charice Pempengco, who is professionally known as Jake Zyrus, and Nats Sitoy are two Filipino actors who will be featured in upcoming Japanese films. The former will star in “Yaru Onna” (She’s a Killer) while the latter plays the title character in “Itoshi No Irene” (Irene of Love).

Better known as a singer, Zyrus has starred in two Hollywood films. He had a cameo appearance as himself in the 2009 20th Century Fox live-action/computer animated comedy film “Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squekquel” and played Malia De La Cruz in the 2012 Sony Pictures comedy film “Here Comes the Boom.”

Zyrus hails from Cabuyao, Laguna. On the other hand, Sitoy is a Cebu native.

Sitoy is a protégé of 2009 Cannes Film Festival best director Brillante Mendoza. In 2016, she won Best Supporting Actress at the Cinema 1 Originals Film Festival for her role in “Lily.”

Jake Zyrus as Akira in “Yaru Onna”

Zyrus plays Akira in “Yaru Onna,” a Japanese action drama film set to be released on October 27, 2018 in Japan. The character is the right hand of the main character Aiko, an assassin played by former K-pop girl group Kara member Kang Ji Young, who is professionally known as Jiyoung.

Written and directed by Keiji Miyano, “Yaru Onna” also stars Rina Takeda and Taro Suruga. Watch the trailer here:

Nats Sitoy as Irene in “Itoshi No Irene”

Sitoy plays the lead female character in “Itoshi No Irene,” a film adaptation of the 1995 Japanese manga series of the same name by Hideki Arai. The character is a Filipino woman who arrives at a poor town in Japan as the bride of the lead male character Iwao Shishido played by Ken Yasuda.

Among Sitoy and Yasuda’s co-stars in “Itoshi No Irene” are Aoba Kawai, Toru Shinagawa, Yoji Tanaka, Hana Kino, Yusuke Iseya and Seiji Fukushi. The romantic drama film was written and directed by Keisuke Yoshida.

Set to be released on September 14, 2018 at Toho Cinema in Japan, “Itoshi No Irene” makes Sitoy the first ever Filipino actor to play a lead role in a Japanese film. Watch the trailer here: